Sunday marked the 17th year Literacy Volunteers-Androscoggin has hosted Letters for Literacy.

The organization recruits volunteers to work one-on-one with adult students to learn to read and write.

According to organization leaders, 18 percent of adults in Androscoggin County read at or below a third-grade reading level.

Organizers said almost everything in life is tied to reading and writing.

"From taking your medication, to driving a car, to helping your children with their homework, to getting a decent job -- it's part of the fabric of life and it's hard to get by without it," Tahlia Chamberlain, the executive director of Literacy Volunteers-Androscoggin, said.